Depending on the kind of shooter I’m playing I’ll usually mention one of two reference points from the “glory days” of gaming: 1942 or Time Pilot. This definitely falls to the latter for comparison, as one might even assume without seeing the name that it was in fact a remake of the 1982 classic (yeah, you read that right, I’m old school). The truth is, even if it has nothing to do with Time Pilot in any way, shape or form, I’m more than happy to label it a “spiritual successor”. The game has the same frantic, 360 degree playing field, nicely updated visuals, and a difficulty level that would make Flappy Bird fans proud.Continue reading…

About all I knew of LIBERATION MAIDEN going into it was that the game was a shooter and that it was a port from another system. This is definitely a game that has been under-promoted in my opinion. As much as I love scrolling shooters, I’ve realized that my iOS experience with the genre has never lived up to its potential until now. Liberation Maiden certainly isn’t perfect, but it’s unlike any shooter you’ve played on your iPad to this point. The final boss battle alone almost makes the whole game worth it, as it was one of the most intense experiences I’ve had with this genre on a mobile device. The price tag is a bit hefty relatively speaking, but if you’re a die hard scrolling shooter fan you should seriously consider this one. Continue reading…

I’m all for the latest trends in technology. In the end, though, I just want my games to be fun. If there’s one thing the METAL SLUG series has proven over and over again it’s that you don’t need the latest 3D accelerated graphics or quad core processor to make an enjoyable game. In fact, as a whole it seems like ports of older games provide some of the most intense scrolling shooter experiences available on the iOS platform. Besides, there’s something about awesome pixel art and classic 90’s video game tunes that’s hard to beat these days.

There’s a bit of irony in the game’s title, because I’m pretty sure going down in a hailstorm of bullets is anything but blissful. The slightly odd name aside, however, once you start playing DoDonPachi Blissful Death you’ll feel right at home if you’re a fan of Cave. If you peruse their titles on the App Store you’ll note they primarily do one thing, but they do that well – scrolling shooters. To be even more specific, their area of expertise seems to be the “bullet hell” shooter, though from that perspective Blissful Death is a bit milder than most of its type. That’s good news for me, because I’m terrible at bullet hell games. Continue reading…

At times it seems developers just miss that creative spark in terms of writing, leaving us stuck with stories full of cardboard characters and clichés. But every once in a while a streak of genius may turn such a seemingly boring tale into something new and original. And depending on the viewpoint EPOCH falls neatly into the latter category. Or not.

I’m always on the lookout for the perfect scrolling shooter and I’m beginning to think such a beast doesn’t exist. Fortunately, while not as a whole unblemished, RayForce has many of the qualities I’d expect in my ideal candidate. On the other hand, it has a couple of big discretions that actually push it back below some of my favorite iOS jaunts. So enough with the opening paragraph rhetoric already, let’s find out what this game is all about!

Judging by the iTunes description for Act of Fury I had a feeling it was going to be something different, and boy was I right. It’s a scrolling shooter.. kind of. The thing is, while it looks the part and controls like one, you don’t actually shoot anything. Instead, you use the powers imbued in you by a failed experiment in order to destroy things that you get close to. Between the unique game play mechanic, the variable upgrade system and the need to revisit old levels in order to progress further in the game, Act Of Fury takes scrolling shooters in a direction that I rather like.

I’ve been playing electronic games for a long time, but it’s really taken me until my iPod Touch to appreciate what the first / third person shooter genre had to offer. Up until now my favorites have been Dead Space (TMA Review) and Modern Combat: Sandstorm (TMA Review), but now I’m adding Shadowgun to that list (I just haven’t figured out where yet). There’s enough depth to keep the game interesting, and at the same time it’s simple enough that people like me who aren’t very good at FPS games can still enjoy it. Don’t get me wrong – even on the easy setting I still repeat my share of sections before getting them right. It’s just that it’s not all that bad having to do so.

The recent reboot of the Transformers franchise left me with mixed feelings. On one hand I definitely enjoy the new look and feel of the robots themselves. On the other, while the first movie was at least half-decent, it pretty much went downhill thereafter. And what to expect from the licensed game accompanying the latest movie –TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON – was a mystery for me.

I don’t know about you, but I hate bugs. Passionately and of all shapes and sizes. For people like me the App Store has a myriad of bug-killing games. But Cyan, the legendary makers of Myst (TMA Review) and Riven: The Sequel to Myst (TMA Review) have gone one step further and actually made it a fun and entertaining artillery puzzler out of the concept of flinging bugs into space. Ready, aim, chuck!